In the Verrine Orations (In Verrem), Marcus Tullius Cicero explains that the letters (epistulas) delivered by Lucius Laetilius contained messages from home that immediately caused the new governor of Sicily, Lucius Metellus, to completely reverse his hostile stance against Gaius Verres. [1]

While Cicero notes that Laetilius was a letter-carrier (tabellarius) regularly employed by Verres, he suggests that the true underlying purpose of the correspondence was to remind Metellus that Verres was his well-wisher, personal friend, and close relative. [1]

The Context of the Message

• The Sudden Shift: Before the arrival of Laetilius, Governor Lucius Metellus had issued official decrees that heavily threatened to ruin Verres' case. [1]
• The Turnaround: Within two days of Laetilius bringing these letters, Metellus completely changed his behavior. He suddenly began proclaiming to everyone that he was Verres' kinsman, and he actively started sabotaging Cicero’s legal investigation by intimidating, blocking, and threatening prosecution witnesses. [1, 2]
• Cicero's Irony: Cicero uses this dramatic shift to mock Metellus and expose how easily the corrupt network of Roman elites could manipulate the provincial judicial system using private correspondence.[1, 2]

If you are researching a specific section of Cicero's work, would you like me to find the exact Latin text for this passage or provide more details on how Lucius Metellus hindered Cicero's trial?